Brian Barfield

In this final article on fishing for sales we are going to examine the final key ingredient to finding success in fishing, and how it relates to the world of retail sales. Thus far we have discussed finding the proper location (finding the hot spots) and using the right equipment (selling skills and knowledge). This month I will share with you the importance of using the right bait. I would like to start off by sharing with you a life-story that will perfectly illustrate what we see going on in the world of sales today.

In last month’s article we discussed the importance of finding the right location, or hot spot, when it comes to fishing and sales. As we move forward this month I am going to discuss in the importance of using the right equipment which is your selling skills and knowledge.

In last month’s article I shared with you the concepts of successful fishing and how it relates to the sales floor. There are three important things that you will need to find success in fishing. They are the right location, the right equipment and the right bait. If you are missing any one of these important factors your fishing trip will not be very successful. Today, I am going to discuss the importance of finding the right location in greater detail. Let’s face it, you can have the right equipment and bait, but if there are no fish around you would just be wasting your time.

In the world of sales today we are judged based on our performance. Those who perform well often find success and fulfillment. Then there are those who underachieve and find themselves fading away into obscurity. It is a two way street and you either are moving in one direction or the other.

As we close out this series on The Modern Day Store, I think that it is fitting that we end with maximizing your stores full potential. In many of our stores today I can assure you that there is an employee with a very special talent just waiting to be discovered and displayed. Sadly, for a variety of reasons, their talent remains unused, just waiting for an opportunity to shine. When given the right opportunity your staff can amaze you with their performance, as you watch in wonder a super star being born. History teaches us this in many different forms.

There was a phenomenon that took place a while back that captured the world by storm. It was LINSANITY! When I use that term many of you instantly remember the story of the National Basketball Association’s Jeremy Lin who came out of nowhere to instant stardom. The world watched in amazement as a nobody became somebody very special in a matter of days. Many people know the term LINSANITY, but may not know the full story. It is within his story that you will find the keys to unlocking your store’s full potential.

Jeremy Lin played basketball for the New York Knicks who were picked as a preseason favorite to contend for the NBA Championship. For a variety of reasons the team underachieved and was left looking for answers to remedy the situation. The coach tried many different things, but nothing seemed to work until he was left with one final choice, Jeremy Lin. In desperation he put in the kid who nobody knew, just trying to make something happen and then the magic began.

Jeremy Lin seized his opportunity and shocked the world as his play rallied his team to a string of consecutive wins. His play brought a new found energy and effort that was contagious and the whole team began to play at a higher level. Over that stretch of time, team chemistry was formed that brought them together through their adversity. They went from having one of the worst records in the league to have a great season that year. The story of Jeremy Lin will always be remembered as one of maximizing someone’s full potential.

There are three important things that you can take away from that story and apply to your store today. The first is that it took adversity to create an opportunity for Jeremy Lin to display his talents. If the team had played to the level it was supposed to, the world may have never known about Jeremy Lin. He was literally the coach’s last choice. All it took was an opportunity to display his talents to the world.

It is when your store is facing adversity that you should take the time to look very closely at your staff’s skills and talents. If the coach would have recognized his talent sooner, they would not have had such a rough road to travel.

The second important thing to notice is that the coach put him in the right position. Jeremy Lin was a point guard who fit perfectly into the coach’s game plan. Could you imagine if the coach put him in at center? That would be unthinkable because he would be dominated.

This may sound silly, but how many times has a store taken their top producer in sales and promoted them to a management position and then the store suffers in sales? I have seen big chain stores do this many times and sales go down and they wonder why. They have their center (top sales producer) playing point guard (store manager).

Another scenario would be the sales associate who has leadership and organization qualities but is not producing sales. Many times the store fires that sales associate instead of utilizing their talents and moving them to office manager where their talents could be better utilized.

Finally, when you have the right people in the right place, with the right opportunity, special things can happen. All the struggles and adversity disappeared when Jeremy Lin got his opportunity to shine. His energy and skills brought his team together and raised the level of performance of every player on that team. They began to win a lot more games than they were losing.

So today I challenge you to look closely at each and every one of your staff. Don’t wait for adversity to find you before you try and figure it out. Realize your store’s full potential by recognizing your talent, giving them an opportunity and placing them in the right position to create victory.

I hope that you have enjoyed this series on creating The Modern Day Store. I am currently setting up my fall in-store training schedule to prepare stores for the Holiday Selling Season. If you want your store to achieve greater success I encourage you to explore the benefits that Modern Day Selling can offer you. If you need further insight or have any questions feel free to e-mail me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit my website www.moderndayselling.com.

In last months article I shared with you how to understand your defining moments in life. By piecing together these moments you were given insight to see the big picture of who you really are and what you have to offer your store.

Today I am going to give you some very important pieces of the puzzle to creating The Modern Day Store. Whenever you start a puzzle it is best to start by taking the outside pieces and building a frame of your puzzle. By doing so you are able to get a clearer picture of where you need to go in completing the puzzle. Today we will focus on your store environment which will be the frame pieces of creating The Modern Day Store.

There are many great truths I have shared in my previous articles that are designed to bring value and purpose to your career and life. This month I am very excited to share with you a special truth that has the potential to change your life in a profound way. It is the importance of understanding your defining moments in life and how they have impacted your life. You see, there are a handful of moments in life that define who you are, and understanding what they were will allow you to find the hidden mysteries of your life.